Tag Archives: Love

I am pleased to feature a great author and friend Caridad Pineiro on my blog. Here is her newest book One Summer Night from the At the Shore series.

Blurb:

Maggie Sinclair has tried everything to save her family’s business. Her options are dwindling, and she needs someone who can turn things around—fast. Problem is, the only person who can help her is trouble with a capital T. The Sinclair and Pierce families have been feuding for nearly 30 years, but that hasn’t stopped Jax Pierce from noticing Maggie. And he likes what he sees—a lot. But getting involved would mean risking his family, his inheritance, and above all, his heart. Can Maggie and Jax keep their simmering attraction at bay—or will mixing business and pleasure bring nothing but heartache?

Excerpt:

With keen interest, Owen Pierce took note of the three women as they hurried away from the dais and into the Sinclair mansion.

Owen bit back the retort that if anyone knew about trouble, it was his brother. Jonathan had always marched to a different drummer and had set out on his own as a teenager to explore what he wanted out of life. Now a successful entrepreneur, he had captured the media’s attention with his innovative designs and daring adventures. That left Owen to shoulder most of the burden of the family’s real estate business, as well as deal with his father’s anger over Jonathan’s latest newsworthy escapade.

He envied his brother’s carefree spirit and determination, especially as Maggie Sinclair marched back onto the patio with her friends, an angry bride, and an obviously inebriated groom. Both the bride and groom looked far from happy as they approached the elaborate multi-tiered wedding cake that had been wheeled out to the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

He worried the bride might plunge the long knife she held into her new husband, but luckily for the newlyweds, Maggie directed the blade toward the cake.

Jon playfully elbowed him. “Seriously, Owen. She’s not for you. Father declared the Sinclairs off-limits ages ago. He would have a stroke if he thought the two of you were involved.”

Involved with Maggie Sinclair, Owen thought and sighed with regret.

In a way, he’d been involved with her forever. He’d like to chalk it all up to a sloppy, hurried, and stolen kiss at eighteen and the allure of forbidden fruit. But since that kiss, he’d watched her mature into a smart, beautiful woman. One who was willing to work hard for the town and business she cared about as well as friends and family. With every encounter, he’d grown more intrigued with the person Maggie had become.

But his father had come down hard on them about mingling with the Sinclairs right after Maggie’s mother’s death. For years, they’d been unable to come to their Sea Kiss home, and even when they’d returned, they’d done so without their father, who refused to be so close to the family he thought had wronged him.

Not that Owen expected that Jon would kowtow to such rules, since his brother was the kind of man who didn’t hesitate to take what he wanted.

He arched a brow and met his brother’s blue-eyed gaze, which glittered with a mix of undisguised challenge and amusement. “Do you think you’re the only one entitled to a little adventure in your life?” he said.

Jon chuckled. “My kind of adventure is way safer than what you may be considering.”

“Why’s that, Li’l Bro?” he asked, appreciating the sight of Maggie in a dusty-rose gown that hugged dangerous curves. Her chestnut-brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft waves and framed ice-blue eyes and a sassy, sexy face that snared his attention every time he saw her.

Jonathan took a last sip of his champagne and barely stifled another laugh. With a shake of his head, he replied, “Because all I risk is an occasional broken bone, but that…” He jerked his head in Maggie’s direction as she stepped back beside Connie and Emma. “That will break your heart.”

Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with pork roll and the Jersey Shore, but still can’t get the hang of tomato pies. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk to maintain her sanity and burn off that pork roll, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million books sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference as well as various writing organizations throughout the country. You can connect with Caridad at www.caridad.com. You can also find Caridad on:

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But before we embrace this wonderful romance novel let’s find out what drink does Norah recommend for our readers.:

“So the drink I picked is called the Brandy Alexander. My main character bakes a lot, and what’s better than an alcoholic drink that tastes like chocolate to go with all the baked goods?! Plus brandy is always a good relaxing drink.”

INGREDIENTS

Ice

1 1/2 ounces Cognac

1 ounce white crème de cacao

1 ounce heavy cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes. Pour in the brandy, creme de cacao, and the half-and-half. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle the grated nutmeg over the top. Tip: grind a fresh, whole nutmeg over the top of the drink and it’ll have more flavor than ground nutmeg from a jar.

Kate Willowbrook dreams of a life filled with beauty –– a man who loves her, friends, and a home. At eighteen, Kate’s dreams are replaced by nightmares when she witnesses a crime. Kate runs, never settling down or trusting anyone. Ten years later Kate discovers the small town of Lakes Crossing and Noah Reed.

When Noah’s wife is killed in an accident, he buries himself in work and family obligations, believing he will never find love again until he meets Kate. The more he learns about her, the more he is drawn to her and his protective instincts kick into overdrive.

Noah is everything Kate has ever dreamed of, but his take-charge attitude is scaring up old demons she fought hard to bury. If they can’t find a way to strike a balance that satisfies both their deepest needs, they could lose their second chance at love.

Excerpt

Kate pierced him with her green eyes. “I’m certain there’s no shortage of women who would be happy to go out with you. Why me?”

Noah’s cocky grin faded into a soft smile that stole her breath. His eyes darkened as he focused on her. She could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks again, and she couldn’t believe she asked him that question. She didn’t even know why she did, except that she wanted to hear his answer. If she let herself fall for this beautiful man, with a killer smile and the softest brown eyes in the world, she’d fall hard and fast. If she were just a toy to him, one that he got bored of and discarded after a while, she’d be devastated. She had lost so much already and survived, but Kate wasn’t sure she could survive his games. If she allowed herself to hope and dream of a life with Noah but then lost it all, she’d crumble, and no amount of superglue would put her back together.

Kate waited for his answer, her eyes locked with his and he didn’t let her down.

“Yes, I won’t deny that I’ve dated other women and there are those who wouldn’t turn me down for a date, but they’re not you.”

Noah reached for her hand, and she let him feel the tremble that ran through her as he engulfed her small hand in his. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers, never taking his gaze off her.

“You say you’re not special to anyone, but that’s not true. I see

something special, someone special. I know we don’t know each other very well, but if you give us a chance to change that, together, we may be something special. We won’t know unless we try.”

Kate’s breath hitched, and her heart squeezed. Jesus, the man had a way with words. How did he know what she needed to hear? Now she understood what Roberta Flack meant when she sang, Killing me Softly. He was clawing at the door to her heart, and she didn’t think she was strong enough to resist him, even knowing that she may get shredded if she let him in.

Kate dropped her gaze again as they began to fill. Her breathing was ragged, and her heart broke its confines and was on the run. Whether it wanted to be caught by Noah or not, Kate wasn’t certain.

Special.

Kate had waited thirty-one years to hear someone call her special. She struggled to rein in her emotions and push back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. She wanted to go out with Noah so badly it hurt. She wanted to get to know him and to be a part of his world, but she was terrified. Good visited her very few times in her life. The instant it arrived, she began preparing for its departure. Good was a temporary visitor and a fickle one at that.

“Come on, Kate. I can sense you’re afraid. I swear I’m a nice guy. I’ll do my damnedest not to disappoint or hurt you. Take a chance. Take a chance on me.”

Kate heard the vulnerability in Noah’s voice. She explored his handsome face, a face she was sure she would never tire of admiring. All traces of his earlier cockiness vanished. Instead, it was replaced by a rawness, an earnestness, a tenderness she’d never seen before. That was the look Kate would remember for a lifetime. Years from now, she would say that was the exact moment she knew, if Noah Reed asked her, she would be his for a lifetime.

Kate let out a slow breath and with a soft smile, she whispered, “Okay, Noah Reed. I’ll take a chance … a chance on you. I’ll go out with you.”

About the Author

Norah lives a double life. By day she is a suit-wearing, prim and proper, professor, administrator, researcher, and lecturer. By night she is a PJ wearing dreamer and writer of books that make people sigh, smile, cry, laugh, fall in love and believe in second chances.

Norah lives in Andover, New Jersey with her husband of thirty years, a cranky geriatric maltipoo, and an obnoxious cockatoo who runs the house and terrifies all its inhabitants.

Norah discovered the joy and escapism that comes from reading at the age of twelve and swears books saved her life and her sanity. Through reading, she has travelled the globe and learned all kinds of equally useful and useless skills such as the proper way to eat a pomegranate, carve a watermelon, or bathe an elephant. These are skills she has passed down to her two daughters who are incredibly supportive, but often wish she had a wider scope of hobbies.

Norah has a long publishing history in academia, but she started writing fiction recently. In July 2016 she published her first work of fiction, R.I.L.Y. Forever with Evernight Publishing and in January 2017 her second book, Everything I’ve Dreamed Of, was also published by Evernight Publishing. Currently, she is working on her third novel, Six Months. Digital and print copies of her books can be purchased at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/R-I-L-Y-Forever-Norah-Bennett-ebook/dp/B01IFH66CK/

But before we unravel this “Love to Remember” work, let us find out what is the drink that J.J. Valentin recommends for us on a Friday night:

I don’t have a particular favorite drink, but when I go to the bar I always order a Stella with a shot of Jameson.I like this combination because Stella is one of the stronger lagers and Jameson is, well, whiskey. But although they are strong, they are both very smooth to drink.

Ingredients

1 measure of Jameson Caskmates near or on the rocks.

1 half pint of a cold Stella Artois.

Recipe:

Well this one does not need a genius to figure it out: First take a sip of your whiskey and then a sip of your beer.

So let us kick back and relax, finding inspiration in this drink mixture, while embarking on the journey into John’s LOVE:

Blurb:

One thousand years have passed in the heavens, marking the beginning of the Trial period. For every one thousand years, two soul mates are chosen to be reborn in order to test their love and faith through the trials and tribulations of life’s false reality.

John and Sarah are chosen.

The rebirth of soul mates is to go as planned: not a single soul shall remember the other until fate, inevitably, pulls them together. But from the sound of Sarah’s laughter, as John walks past her one day after school, fate is suddenly placed into his hands, as his love for her is so strong it breaks all laws and reminds him of whom she is.

In-depth story explanation: By reading the back cover of John’s LOVE it would appear that this is a story of romance and true love and, indeed, in many ways it is; however, there is a deeper love story embedded within: this is truly a story about God’s unconditional love and salvation for people who have hope and faith in HIM. John’s love for Sarah, in fact, is not so strong it breaks all laws and reminds him of whom she is; his memory of Sarah is given to him by God in order to test his faith and love in HIM. The trials and tribulations come into play when Satan torments John in his dreams and reality. In John’s dreams, Satan disguises himself as John’s own image and states he is his subconscious. He pleads with him to forget about Sarah and God, telling him that his visions are nothing more than a mental illness—“that what you can see and feel is the true and only reality.” Satan also manifests himself as Lucas: a handsome, charming man who will eventually influence Sarah and lead her down a path of self-destruction, causing John and Sarah’s destiny to unravel. In the end, John is forced to decide what is most important to him: his love for Sarah, which in turn holds his own destiny, or GOD.

Excerpt:

“A BLINDING LIGHT SHINES UPON JOHN AND SARAH as they stand amongst a crowd of countless souls. The time has come for them to fall back into life and forget all that they have experienced in the heavens.

John turns to Sarah, fighting back any signs of worry, grabs her hands and tries to comfort her with a smile. “I love you, sweetheart. Our love is unconditional and can never be forgotten. We shall rise out of love, through all.”

Sarah begins to tear, barely able to reply, “God has made you for me, and me for you. We will—we’ll forever be one.”

Aware of the possibilities of never reuniting, they desperately cling to one another; Sarah shakes, but John holds firm.

With their hands held tightly together, they are thrown down toward the earth. Never once does their eyes disconnect as they fall through the earth’s atmosphere and slowly fade away.

With one last breath, Sarah pleads, “Remember me! Remember me, Jo—”

* * * * *

* * * * *

“Hahaha!” Sarah laughs at her girlfriend’s joke as they stand outside on the steps behind their high school.

At that very moment, John and his friends are walking across the basketball courts when he hears Sarah’s loud, boisterous laugh. Somehow it seems familiar to him, so he looks to his left, and there she is with her long black hair, blowing in the wind, and her one-of-a-kind, genuine smile. His eyes and mind are locked on her as he is instantly reminded of whom she is and what she means to him: flashbacks of their past lives—in heaven and on Earth—flood his mind heavily. He tries to shake it off, thinking it might just be Déjà Vu, but he can’t; he’s stuck in this moment of love as if his life has just been pieced together. While his friends are talking, he hears nothing but her laugh, sees nothing but her smile, and is deeply in love with her goofy body movement as he watches her crack up in the distance. He doesn’t know where these thoughts and feelings are coming from, but it’s as if he’s known her all along. From a single glance at a girl he’s never met before, his soul cries desperately for love….”

You can get your own copy in Paperback or Kindle from Amazon by by clicking: Here

J.J. Valentin was born in Brooklyn, NY on February 11, 1989. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Wallington, NJ: a small suburban town in Bergen County. At 17 years old, he moved to the Bronx, NY and attended college in Manhattan. In 2013, at the age of 24, he wrote John’s LOVE, which was then published in 2016.

Favorite Quote:
“When you see everything that happens in the world of science, and in the working of the universe, you cannot deny that there’s a captain on the bridge.” – Thomas Edison

This week we are featuring erotic and romantic suspense novel author Taisha Demay. She enjoys bringing complex and interesting characters to life on the page. Currently signed with Rhysworld Publishing she is the author of three books.

Taisha normally drinks her green tea, but when the occasion strikes you will find her enjoying a glass of Merlot.

Merlot comes from a dark blue-colored grape variety that can be used for both a blending grape and for varietal wines. As the grape ripens early it makes it popular to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and is the second most popular grape variety in Bordeaux wine regions. It is also among the most popular wine grapes planted around the world due to its flexibility in wine type production.

Merlots differ in complexity and character, as well as wine type thus make excellent choices for the dinner table. The Cabernet-like Merlots go excellent with grilled meat, while softer and fruitier Merlots go great with salmon, mushrooms and greens.

New York CPA Holland Taylor wants revenge against her boss, Decimal Accounting Services CEO Carter Preston, a man she has loved since the first day she laid eyes on him in the lobby of his company. But all that changes when she overhears him saying some unflattering things about her to another executive. Devastated Holland vows to teach him a lesson that he will never forget. Will her plan work or will it turn into something more than she had bargained for? Fall into the pages of Love, Truth and Consequencesand let Author Taisha Demay show you what happens when you try to play a game that you may not really be ready for…

Born in Jamaica Queens New York, Taisha DeMay is an Army veteran, married to her childhood friend, the mother of two adult children and one grand daughter. An animal lover, she currently resides in North Carolina. Her love of writing stemmed from the love of books. An avid reader, her collection boasts of thousands of physical books as well as countless number of ebooks. You can find her on Facebook as well as Twitter and Instagram where you can learn what she’s up to.